Remember Jeremiah Johnson, played by Robert Redford in the movie based on Mountain Man, by Vardis Fisher? The character is based on a real mountain man named John "Liver-Eating" Johnston. According to locals -”he was our first marshall here in Red Lodge, and we know he had a long-running feud with the Crow Indians.”

What we don't know is whether he really did hunt down 300 Crow warriors, kill them, and eat their livers earned him a chapter in Still Speaking Ill of the Dead.
Raymond W. Thorp believes the tales are true, and he tells them enthusiastically in his book, Crow Killer: The Saga of Liver-Eating Johnson. No matter which way you read it, Johnston wasn't a very nice person. (Editors note: Can you imagine coming home and finding your wife killed by some Indians? His legend has always stirred controversy and it is difficult to separate fact from fiction)

This is his cabin that was on display outside the old Chamber of Commerce.

Trail Town is the largest collection of its kind in Wyoming. Visitors can conveniently stroll between buildings and artifacts along the boardwalk, or head out to the graveyard, where local and national folk heroes are buried.

The Grave Site of John "Liver Eating" Johnston

The grave of Liver Eating Johnston was relocated to Old Trail Town on June 8, 1974.

During his colorful career, Johnston, who was born in 1824 and died in 1900, had been a trapper, hunter, wood hawk, army scout, marshal, and Civil War veteran. In recent years he has become well known from the movie "Jeremiah Johnson," which was based on Johnston's life.

Over 2,000 people attended the reburial service for Liver Eating Johnston at Old Trail Town; probably the largest burial service in the history of Wyoming. The bronze statue of Johnston erected over the grave was sculpted by Peter Fillerup of Cody.

Open Mid May--Mid September
8:00 A.M. - 8:00 P.M.
Call for details: 307-587-5302

content from Old Trail Town
Cody, WY

Old Trail Town is a collection of historic buildings and western artifacts that provide a hands-on way to experience Wyoming's frontier history. Located in west Cody along the Yellowstone Highway, the collection of buildings and artifacts marks the area originally surveyed as Cody's town site by Buffalo Bill 1895.

Red Lodge, “gateway to Yellowstone Park”

Adjacent Counties
Park County Montana
Stillwater County Montana
Yellowstone County, Montana
Big Horn County, Montana

Carbon County Montana Vital Records
Carbon County Recorder
P. O. Box 887
Red Lodge, MT 59068
Phone: (406) 446-1220
 Carbon County Clerk of the District Court
P. O. Box 948
Red Lodge, MT 59068
Phone: (406) 446-1225

General Infomation

Carbon County is located in south central Montana. Carbon County was created on March 4, 1895 from portions of Park and Yellowstone counties and includes an area of 2,066 square miles.
The county seat is located in Red Lodge; other towns located within Carbon County include Bearcreek, Belfry, Bridger, Fromberg, Edgar, Silesia, Joliet, Boyd, Roberts, Luther and Roscoe.
To the south and west lie the picturesque Beartooth Mountains whose lofty peaks include Montana’s highest, Granite Peak with an elevation of 12,799 feet.
 Flowing from the mountains, the Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone River meanders through central portions of the county.
 On the eastern edge of the county are the Pryor Mountains and the Big Horn River.

Welcome to Genealogy Trails History Group, Volunteers Dedicated to Free Genealogy. Our goal at
Genealogy Trails is to transcribe and post genealogical source data so that family researchers can track ancestors through time, throughout the country. This is Carbon County, Montana web site. My name is Jo Ann Boyd Scott. I grew up in Montana. This is “Big Sky Country”. I will do lookups, just e-mail me. Send me text or picture data, information on Carbon County and I will post it. Your data is owned by you not the web site. SEND DATA to this e-mail. All work is copyrighted, 2007-2008.
If you would like to help transcribe, e-mail, I can really use the help. Check back, lots more coming.   State site   National site 

Coming soon

Biographer of John Liver Eating Johnston
Dorman Nelson,check out the web page.

 

e-mail Jo Ann

CARBON COUNTY, MONTANA